The A TeAm
by Skye Coulson
Summary: What if Aria Montgomery wasn't Aria Montgomery ... And, in fact, she was Aria Coulson? Coulson knows about "A" and decides to bring Aria & her friends in so he can protect them until "A" has been brought to light and stopped. But, that's not the only bombshell he's dropping on his long-lost illegitimate daughter ... What role will Ezra play in all this? Please read & review!
1. Secret

**The A-TeAm**

**Disclaimer:  
**As always, I own nothing!

**Rating:**

K+ (subject to change)

**Genre:  
**Romance/Family/Drama

**Pairings:  
**Ezria (Ezra Fitzgerald/Aria Montgomery)  
Coulsye (Phil Coulson/Skye)

**Lyrics Used:  
**The Pierces "Secret"

* * *

Secret

* * *

_Got a secret | Can you keep it | Swear this one, you'll save | Better lock it in your pocket | Takin' this one to the grave | If I show you, then, I know you won't tell what I've said | 'Cause two can keep a secret if one of them is dead_

* * *

"I got it!" Aria Montgomery called out, landing at the bottom of the staris as she made her way to answer the door for her family. Flipping the lock open, she swung the door open to find a tall slender woman shoulder length hair falling around her face in sleek curls and chocolate brown eyes wearing a sleek black business suit with a crisp white shirt and tall black heels. Her posture and body language screamed cop. _Great … Just what I _**_didn't _**_need! … Another detective snooping around … _Aria thought to herself as she plastered on her best fake smile as she greeted her visitor. "Can I help you?"

Reaching inside her jacket, the strange woman pulled out what looked like a black leather bi-fold wallet which opened up to reveal a white and yellow badge on one side and round logo with some kind of bird on it on the other side. Taking a closer look at the badge, Aria was able to read it clearly. _Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division … Why the hell is S.H.I.E.L.D. after me?! _She wondered curiously. She couldn't understand why a covert government agency was looking for her. "My name is Special Agent Shaelynn Harmon." The woman identified herself, her voice brisk and clinical. "You must be Aria Montgomery." She surmised.

"I am…" Aria replied, curiously, before her attention was drawn to the familiar face standing behind the strange woman. "Ezra?" She asked, wondering why her boyfriend was on her doorstep with a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. And, why he was dressed in a crisp black suit with a bright white dress shirt and black tie – perfectly matching the strange woman with him. "What's going on, here?!" She demanded, switching her gaze from Ezra to Agent Harmon and back.

Before Ezra could answer the question, however, Agent Harmon cut him off. "Are your parents home?"

"No!" Aria refused, firmly, releasing her grip on the doorknob to cross her arms over chest as she demanded answers. "No, I'm not telling you anything until you answer a few of **my **questions!"

"Aria … Please." Ezra begged, quietly, hoping to resolve this whole mess as calmly as possible.

"Quiet, Fitzgerald." Agent Harmon barked, holding up a hand to silence her colleague. "You're in this deep enough, as is. I'll handle the talking." She elaborated, vaguely.

Already, Aria knew she wasn't going to get anywhere with this woman. "MOM! … DAD!" She called out, stepping aside for the agents to enter the house while they all waited awkwardly for Aria's parents to join them in the den.

"Yes?" Ella Montgomery greeted, breezily, walking into the living room, stopping dead in her tracks when she saw Ezra Fitz and a strange woman she didn't recognize standing in her living room.

"Can we help you?" Bryon Montgomery asked, curiously, eying the agents in his living room, carefully.

"Mr. & Mrs. Montgomery, my name is Special Agent Shaelynn Harmon." Shaelynn introduced herself, coolly. "I'm with S.H.I.E.L.D. Though, Ella, I suppose you might already have an idea about why we're here, tonight." Watching their reactions, Shaelynn pressed onward, turning to address the younger Montgomery sibling as he entered the room. "And, you must be Mike Montgomery." She surmised with a disturbing smile.

"Mom? … Dad? … Aria?" Mike questioned, somewhat frightened, as he glanced around to his family – desperately searching for answers.

"Am I to assume you told your family the … _whole _truth … about Aria?" Shaelynn asked, cryptically, staring straight at Ella, waiting for an answer.

"What are you talking about?! What '_truth_'?!" Mike demanded, frantically scanning his family for answers. His sister looked just as lost as he did. His dad looked somewhere between furious and mortified. And, his mother just looked guilty. "Mom, what is she talking about?!" The young teen demanded, once again.

"Or perhaps, you _haven't _told them." Shaelynn replied, grinning evilly. "Miss Montgomery…" Shaelynn continued, her voice suddenly taking on a notably more compassionate tone as she addressed the young woman. "You'll probably want to sit down for this." She warned, gently.

"What I _want _is for someone to finally give me some answers!" Aria snarled, storming across the room to stand directly in front of Ezra. "Ezra, _please_!" The young woman begged, desperately. "Please, just … just tell me what's going on!"

Clearing his throat, Ezra mustered what little resolve he had left to reply. "Shaelynn's right … Aria … You probly better sit down for this." He added, quietly, gently guiding Aria into a nearby chair.

"Look, Aria…" Shaelynn added, gently, her body language suddenly drastically more compassionate – much like her voice. "What I am about to tell you is going to change … _everything _… for you." The specialist conceded, gently, as she lowered herself down onto the loveseat next to the chair Aria currently occupied. "I don't expect it to be easy for you to hear, but, I need you to understand that it's the truth."

"For God's sake, will somebody please just spit it out, already!" Aria demanded, losing her mind trying to figure out what was happening.

"I'm not your father." Byron finally blurted out, unable to stand it any longer.

"_**WHAT?!**_"Aria and Mike both screeched in disbelief.

"Dad, what the hell are you talking about?!" Aria added, her voice small and filled with hurt and betrayal.

"When I got pregnant with you…" Ella Montgomery interjected, trailing off as she searched for the best way to confess what she'd done all those years ago. "…I had…I had made a mistake…"

"You had an _affair_?!" Aria gasped, in shock. She couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that her mother had been unfaithful to her father. "What-_Why_?! When?!"

"His name was Phillip Coulson." Ella sighed, sliding herself down into the sofa across the room from her daughter. "Your father and I were dealing with some issues in our marriage-"

"You slept with someone else all because you and dad had a _fight_?!" The petite brunette screeched.

"Aria!" Byron Montgomery barked, effectively silencing his daughter's outburst. "Let your mother finish."

"Anyway…I had gone out for a walk to clear my head and … Somehow, I wound up at a bar. This handsome stranger on the barstool next to me starts talking to me." Ella began, slowly, deciding to start her story back at the beginning. "He was really nice. He listened … He just made me feel … Comfortable … Safe … Like I could tell him anything and he wouldn't ever judge me." The Montgomery matriarch smiled fondly as she reminisced about the strikingly handsome stranger from nearly twenty years ago. "I felt guilty about it, later, but … I … lied and told him I wasn't married – I had already taken my ring off, earlier … While I was thinking about leaving your father …"

"You were gonna divorce dad?" Aria asked, suddenly much more quietly. She appeared to be hanging on her mother's every word. "Was it really _that __**bad**_?"

"At the time, I thought it was…" Ella conceded, quietly. "But…when I woke up in Phil's bed, the next morning … In a strange bed, in a strange hotel room … All I could think about was how much I just wanted to get home and work things out with your dad." The older Montgomery couldn't help getting a little misty-eyed as she recounted her infidelity.

"So, you _told _dad about the affair?" Aria breathed, shocked at everything her mother was telling her.

"No." Ella replied, quickly, shaking her head. "No, Phil and I had agreed that what had happened was a mistake and that it could never happen again. We also decided that it would be best for everyone involved if we never mentioned it to anyone again. Though, he did … give me his card … in case I ever felt threatened and needed some help."

"Wait…" Aria interjected, confused. "I'm confused … Why would you feel _threatened_?" She questioned, curiously.

"Because…" Ella sighed, hanging her head if she were ashamed of herself. "When your father and I had fought the night before … He'd slapped me in the face-"

"Mike – NO!" Aria screamed, watching her younger brother charging toward their father – arm reared back, ready to strike.

"Not so fast!" Shaelynn warned, restraining the younger sibling before he could do anything stupid and things got out of hand. "Take it easy, tiger!" She added, refusing to release her grip until the young teen had calmed himself a few moments later.

"I can't **believe **you would do something like that!" Mike Montgomery hissed before storming up the stairs to his room. Upon hearing the door slam, Ella jumped before resuming her story. "That's why I thought it was so bad – why I considered leaving your father."

"He's not my father." Aria argued, staring straight at Byron before turning her attention to Shaelynn. "That much was already made perfectly clear." The senior S.H.I.E.L.D. agent had no words for that. She understood where the teen was coming from. She figured it would be best to just let the young woman say whatever she felt she needed to say.

"Anyway, as I said, before … That was why I had considered leaving …" Ella reiterated, picking up where she'd left off. "But, Phil gave me the number of a reputable therapist that could help with … with Byron's anger management issues." She added, correcting herself before refferring to Byron as Aria's father. "And, the therapy worked." She added, with the slightest glimmer of hope. "Things got better…" She added, her voice trailing off, slowly.

"Then, why do I sense another bombshell?" Aria drawled, cautiously.

"Things started getting bad again when I found out I was pregnant with you." Ella sighed, reluctantly. "Byron and I hadn't … in several weeks leading up to the big fight." The older brunette trailed off, awkwardly, unsure of what to say in front of her teenage daughter. "We knew the baby _had _to be Phil's." Ella sighed, heavily, wringing her hands, nervously, in her lap. "That … _you _… had to be Phil's…"

"Wow…" Aria breathed, stunned. "I don't believe it." Shaking her head, she tried to process everything she was hearing. "So … What … What did you do?"

"Well, I wasn't going to ask anything of your biological father." Ella explained, carefully. "Your dad and I agreed that Phil could be as involved as he wanted – whether that be a little or a lot. So, I called him and told him that I was pregnant and that he could decide his level of involvement."

"And … What did he say?" Aria asked, carefully – unsure of whether or not she truly wanted to hear the answer. Even though, deep down, she knew she _needed _to know.

"Well, we discussed it-" Ella began, carefully, before being interrupted by her husband.

"At length!" Byron Montgomery interjected, snidely, before being silenced by simulatenous death stares from his wife, his daughter, Ezra and Shaelynn.

"We discussed the matter and Phil felt that – due to the nature of his job – it would be safer for you not to know about him." Ella explained – choosing her words carefully, praying to whatever deity may have been listening that her daughter would understand everything she was telling her.

"What do you mean 'safer'?" Aria questioned, curiously. _Because if receiving threatening text messages from someone who only identifies themselves by one letter is 'safe', I'd hate to see what would happen if I was in __**danger**__!_ The young teen thought to herself, sarcastically.

"Your father deals with a lot of extremely dangerous people." Ella explained, calmly. "He would wouldn't go into too much detail. But, I got the impression that not telling you about him would be to your benefit-"

"How can you _**say **_that?!" Aria cried out, leaping to her feet. As she began to storm across the room to her mother, she added "Not telling me about him was a **lie**!" She snarled, before Ezra's strong arms around her waist and shoulders halted her in her place. "And, _**you**_!" She cried out, rounding on the undercover S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. "Just _what _do **you **have to do with all this?!" She shouted, glaring daggers at the man that she loved.

Suddenly feeling put on the spot, Ezra's voice caught in his throat as the words died on his tongue. He thought he could do this. It was all an op. He'd done a thousand ops. This wasn't his first rodeo. … So, why was it so damn hard? _Because you're in love with her … You were supposed to __**protect**__ her, dumbass! Not __**fall in love **__with her!_ Now, Ezra was beginning to remember why he always checked his emotions at the door whenever he went undercover.

Sensing her colleague's struggles, Shaelynn decided to jump in for her co-worker. "Your father … Your … _biological_ father … assigned him to look after you and your friends when you all first started receiving texts from 'A'."

"What do you 'he was _assigned_' to look after me and my friends?!"Aria snarled, unable to hold back the tears any longer. The strange S.H.I.E.L.D. agent had been right all along. Her entire _life –_ everything she ever **thought** she _knew –_ was being turned completely upside down. Nothing would ever be the same. That much was absolutely sure.

"What Shaelynn means is…" Ezra began – finally finding his voice, even if it _did _trail off uncertainly. "What she means is that I'm a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent … Same as Shaelynn." He offered, guiltily.

"What?!" Aria breathed. It seemed as if her heart had stopped beating and time had frozen in place. "No. … No, that … That can't be right."

"I went in undercover as your teacher so that I could gain easy access to watch over all of you, simulatenously." Ezra explained, reluctantly. "But … Your father's primary concern was you. The one thing that mattered most to him was keeping you safe. I told him that I believe the best way to do just that would be to watch over all of you since you all seemed to receive seperate attacks and I felt like I needed all the pieces of the puzzle to-"

"STOP!" Aria screamed – finally snapping as the weight of it all finally became too much for him to bear. "Just … stop … okay?" She added, her voice suddenly dropping to nearly inaudible. "Everybody that I once thought I could trust has been lying to me all my life! Okay?! I am _**sick **_and _**tired **_of it **all**!" The young girl cried.

"Aria … I realize that I can't even _begin _to comprehend what you're going through-" Shaelynn replied, warmly, before being cut off.

"YA _THINK_?!" Aria screamed, her chest heaving deep angry breaths as she attempted to digest everything she was being told.

"-right now…" The veteran S.H.I.E.L.D. agent continued speaking – ignoring the outburst, knowing that Aria was just hurt and confused – as if Aria'd never spoken. "But, _I _need _you _understand that the reason we're telling you all of this, now, is because you are in a _lot _of danger. We know about these threats you've been getting. And, your father's been doing some investigating on the side – between official S.H.I.E.L.D. jobs – and we've put a **lot **of twos together."

"You think you know who 'A' is?!" Aria demanded, with just a shimmer of hope as she stared up at the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent wide-eyed.

"We don't have a name, _yet_…" Shaelynn conceded, unable to escaped the feeling of defeat as she watched Aria's shoulders sink. "But, we have connected this 'A' to a _lot _of murders – including your friend, Alison DiLaurentis."

"You mean … Ali wasn't the only one 'A' killed?" Aria breathed, bewildered and terrified that 'A' might be even _more _omnipresent than they initially believed.

"Not by a long shot." Aria glanced up at Ezra to see the apologetic determination in his eyes.

"That's why your father sent us here." Shaelynn added, gently. "To get you and your friends and take you all somewhere you'll be safe."

"So, you're here to tell me that you're taking me away from _my _home, _my _family, _my __**friends**_… _Everything _that I know … And, hide me away, _God _knows where?!" Aria demanded, panicking at the very idea of it all.

"I know it isn't ideal-" Shaelynn acknowledged.

"_IDEAL_?!" Aria screamed, advancing on Shaelynn before Ezra grabbed her once again. "Let GO of me!" She cried, wrenching herself free from the stunned agent's grasp. "Why should I trust you?!" She questioned, her voice deathly quiet. "Either of you?" She added, looking over to Shaelynn.

Deciding that their current approach _clearly _wasn't working, Shaelynn decided to change their game plan. "Listen, Aria … You're absolutely right. You have absolutely no reason to trust us."

"What the hell are you doing?" Ezra questioned, his voice an urgent whisper.

Eying her colleague with a sly, knowing smile, Shaelynn returned her attention to Aria. "But, ask yourself this … After you started getting those texts … From 'A' … When was the last time you honestly felt safe?" She knew it was a loaded question – a _dangerous _one. That was exactly what she was banking on.

Watching the betrayed stare aimed directly at associate, Shaelynn felt confident that her approach could actually work. She could almost _see _the gears turning in the young woman's head. Before all this had been dropped on her lap, she would have said 'Ezra' without even thinking about it. Right up until that very moment, Ezra had always been able to make her feel safe. But, now … Everyone she thought she could trust had been lying to her – her entire _life_.

"Look, I never said this was an easy decision." Shaelynn conceded, gently – almost understandingly. "In fact, this is probably going to be the hardest decision you'll ever have to make in your life." She added, sincerely. "Definitely harder than anyone your age _should _have to make – that much is for sure." She shrugged. It was true. Even Aria had to admit that Agent Harmon had a point.

Mulling it all over in her head, Aria couldn't deny that S.H.I.E.L.D. was _definitely _more qualified to deal with 'A' than she and her friends were. And – as much as she knew she had every reason _not _to – there was still a small little part of her that was screaming at her to trust in Ezra. Despite everything that had happened, that night, she still wanted to trust him. Maybe she was just being foolish and naïve. She wasn't sure. All she knew was that she needed to trust _someone_. _Better Ezra than some perfect stranger … Right?_ She tried tojustify her decision to herself, but, nothing about this situation seemed justified. "I need to … pack a few things." Aria finally replied, quietly, after finding her voice.

Shaelynn understood the teen's need to take something with her to remind her of the only home she'd ever known. Nodding sympathetically, the seasoned S.H.I.E.L.D. agent replied "Just don't be too long." She spoke warmly, compassionately. "We need to keep moving."

"Of course." Aria all but whispered, taking one last glance over at Ezra before turning away to ascend the stairway to her bedroom.

Just as Aria had climbed the first step, Ezra finally found his own voice. "I'll go with you." He offered, hoping to get a moment alone with Aria to explain himself.

Noting the Montgomeries' questioning stares, Shaelynn came to her colleague's rescue, once more. "It makes sense." She offered, simply. "Phil assigned Agent Fitzgerald – personally – to guard the girls." She elaborated. Seemingly satisfied with the senior agent's explanation, the Montgomeries just nodded as Aria and Ezra climbed the remained of the stairway to the young girl's bedroom.

* * *

The tension hung in the air – so thick and dense it almost felt like another person in the room. Aria maneuvered around the room, throwing her few essentials into the bag she'd spread open on the bed. "I'm sorry." Ezra finally blurted out, unable to stand the silence any longer.

As she whirled around to face him, Ezra Fitzgerald – despite all his S.H.I.E.L.D. training – never could have been prepared for the raw hurt and anger in the petite brunette's eyes. "You're '_sorry_'?!" She demanded, stalking over to where he stood. "Oh! Well, then … I guess that makes this all okay, right?!" She added, sarcastically. "As long as you're sorry then I guess all is right with the world – is that it?!"

" I know-" Ezra began, apologetically, before being cut off.

"NO!" Aria roared, rage burning in her eyes. "No, you _had _your chance to talk!" She spat, angrily. "You had **so **_many _chances to talk – to tell me everything. You could have come clean at any **point**, Ezra! But, you _didn't_!" She cried, her voice growing thick with tears she refused to let him see her shed. "You knew – all along – the truth about my mom and my real dad!" She added, walking away before turning back to face him. "Not telling me about this – about my parents … about _you_ – was a lie…" She whispered, betrayed. "Until now, you were the only man in my life that had never lied to me." The young teen finished, as she threw the zipper closed on her bag before slinging the strap over her shoulder before silently storming out the door.

_Sometimes I __**reeeeally **__hate my job … _Ezra thought to himself, wonderign what all this meant for his future with Aria as he reluctantly followed his charge down the stairs. _And, my boss … _He added as an afterthought. _And, whoever this 'A' is …_

* * *

"Ready to go?" Shaelynn asked, hoping to lighten the mood as Aria just glared at her, silently. "Right…" The veteran agent sighed. "Well, I guess we better get moving … Did you … wanna say any goodbyes?" She offered, lamely, hoping to salvage some shread of a relationship between Aria and family.

Dropping the bag at her feet, Aria first crossed over to where her brother stood. Wrapping her arms around her baby brother's neck, she choked out a whisper. "I love you, Mike."

Fighting his own tears back with everything he had, Mike just whispered "I'll see ya soon, sis … I love you, too."

Before she completely broke down, Aria released her grip on her brother before turning to her mother. As Ella rose to her feet, Aria met her mother in the middle as the two women threw their arms around each other. "I'm so sorry I lied to you!" Ella cried, her tears soaking her daughter's shoulder. "I never should have hidden the truth from you!"

"I understand, mom." Aria sniffed, trying to stay strong for her mother. "I love you so much!"

"I love you, too, honey!" Ella replied, as the two women slowly withdrew from the embrace. Drying her eyes, Aria considered saying goodbye to Byron. But, ultimately, decided it would just be too awkward. Walking back over to the stairs, she just silently slung her bag back over her shoulder and began to head for the door.

"Aren't you gonna say goodbye to your dad?" Ezra asked, lamely, confused.

Turning to look at the man she'd always known as her father, Aria's face remained blank and her voice dead as she replied "He's not my father … I don't owe him anything." Turning back to the door, Aria grabbed the knob and threw the front door open and continued out the door, and down the path to the black SUV that awaited her.

* * *

**Author's Note:  
**As always, I hope you all enjoyed this little offering I bring you. Don't ask me where the idea came from. I honestly don't know. It's just been bouncing around my head for a few days and I finally got it out. :D I hope you all enjoyed this first chapter and will continue to read it. And, of course, don't forget to drop me a review! Pretty please!

~Skye Coulson


	2. Protective Custody

**The A TeAm**

**Disclaimer:  
**As always, I own nothing!

**Rating:  
**K+

**Genre:  
**Family/Drama

**Pairing(s):  
**Coulsye  
Ezria

**Lyrics Used:  
**The Pierces "Secret"

**Author's Note:  
**By the way ... I've included a quote from the Jennifer Lopez movie, _Enough_, in this movie. The first five (5) people to correctly identify the quote will get a PLL/AoS all their own! :D Good luck!

* * *

Protective Custody

* * *

_Got a secret | Can you keep it | Swear this one, you'll save | Better lock it | In your pocket | Takin' this one to the grave | If I show you | Then I know you | Won't tell what I've said | 'Cause two can keep a secret if one of them is dead_

* * *

"This was a mistake." Phil Coulson muttered to himself as Skye pulled the black SUV into the driveway of their destination.

Putting the SUV in park and killing the engine, Skye sighed lightly before reaching across the center console to reach for her boyfriend's hand, giving the senior S.H.I.E.L.D. agent a gentle reassuring squeeze before replying "Of course not. … You've seen the threats. These girls need round the clock protection-"

"That's not what I meant." Phil interjected, looking up at the woman that had stolen his heart with a lost expression unlike any that she'd ever seen in the senior agent's piercing blue eyes. "I meant that I should have gone to collect Aria, myself…" Phil corrected, sighing lightly. "I should have been there to explain myself and my actions in person."

"Phil." Skye offered, her voice firm yet gentle. "You assigned Fitzgerald to protect Aria for a reason. You know he'll take care of her."

"I know." Phil replied, quietly. "I just … I still feel like I should have been there." He elaborated, shrugging his shoulders – at a loss.

"You _are_ there." Skye offered, warmly, leaning across the console to place a quick kiss to the senior agent's cheek. "You're going above and beyond the call of duty to keep your daughter and her friends safe." She added, warmly. "Look, I know I can't even begin to understand how hard all this is for you – I get that." The young hacktivist admitted, gently. "But, this really is for the best. Things would be so much more complicated if you had gone to get Aria, yourself."

Sighing reluctantly, Phil knew he had to admit that Skye had a point. Aria had to be hurt and confused enough just to learn that the man she'd always known as her father _wasn't _her father, at all. Then, throw in _meeting _her biological father for the first time – in front of the rest of her family – on top of that … That wasn't something someone Aria's age needed to deal with. Of course, 'A' wasn't exactly something somebody Aria's age needed to deal with, either. "You're right." Phil finally conceded, with a gentle squeeze of his beloved hacker's hand.

"Of course I am." Skye replied, grinning playfully to lighten the mood before patting Phil's knee. "Now … Let's get to work."

* * *

"Can I help you?" Veronica Hastings asked, curiously, staring at the strangers standing on her doorstep. The gentleman's appearance screamed federal agent. But, the young woman was harder to read.

"Mrs. Hastings, my name is Agent Phil Coulson, with S.H.I.E.L.D." Phil introduced himself, his voice crisp and professional, as he withdrew his ID badge out of the inner pocket in his jacket. "This is my associate, Agent Skye." He added, indicating the young woman next to him. "We need to speak with your daughter. Spencer."

"Well, Agent Coulson…" Veronica began, tersely, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm sure you're well aware that my daughter is still a minor and therefore you'll understand that I'll have to be present while you question her."

"You'd be correct, Mrs. Hastings…" Phil conceded, the slightest traces of an unreadable smirk ghosting over his lips. "If we were planning to question your daughter." He corrected, smugly. "We know that someone has been targeting Spencer and we'd like to discuss our plans to protect her _with _Spencer."

Knowing that she wasn't going to be able to chase off the veteran S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Veronica Hastings just stepped aside as she called for her youngest daughter. "SPENCER!" She called up the stairs, waiting for her daughter's arrival.

"Yeah, mom?" Spencer Hastings asked, timidly, upon noticing the federal agents at her door.

"This is Agent Coulson and Agent Skye." Veronica announced, reluctantly. "They're with S.H.I.E.L.D." She added. "And, they have something they'd like to discuss with you." Picking up on the look she was receiving from Skye, the older Hastings added "What?"

"We'd appreciate it if you'd allow us a moment alone with Spencer." Skye explained, calmly, keeping her voice impressively level.

"Well, that's not going to happen." Veronica argued, her maternal instincts kicking into overdrive. "I don't care if you're questioning her or not! You're not talking to my daughter alone!"

"Mrs. Hastings, I understand your instincts to protect your daughter." Phil interjected, levelly. "I'm a parent, myself, and I assure you … There is nothing in this world that I would not do to protect my own daughter." It was true. Phil could understand the urge to protect one's child. "You have a divine animal right to protect your own life and the life of your offspring." He offered, hoping to placate the mother's concerns. "But, right now … The person that's targeting your daughter is far more dangerous than you know-"

"Spencer, what the hell is he talking about?" Veronica demanded, turning to her daughter for the answers she clearly wasn't going to get from the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. "Who's targeting you?!" Unable to answer her mother's questions, Spencer just dropped her head to stare at the floor, rubbing her arms, anxiously. Observing her daughter's anxious behavior, Veronica decided to press the matter further. "Spencer … What is going on?!" She demanded, moving to stand directly in front of her daughter, gripping both of Spencer's biceps in her hands – forcing her to look her in the eye. "**Who **is targeting you?!"

Just as Phil was about to intervene on Spencer's behalf, everybody was startled when the teenager suddenly snapped. " I DON'T **KNOW **WHO THEY ARE!" Spencer barked, waving her arms – clearing the immediate area around her. "They just always go by 'A' … Everytime we _think _we know who they are, we end up being wrong and some innocent bystander ends up paying the price…" She elaborated, her voice suddenly notably more defeated.

"'We'?" Veronica demanded, pressing her daughter for more information. "Who's 'we'?"

Sighing reluctantly, Spencer knew she might as well come out with it. If S.H.I.E.L.D. was involved, they probably already knew more than she did, anyway. "Me … Aria … Emily … and Hanna."

"Spencer, why didn't you come to me with any of this?" Veronica Hastings asked, hurt that her daughter was being targeted and she didn't feel like she could come to her. "We could have gone to the police-"

"With all due respect, Mrs. Hastings…" Phil interjected, carefully. "I don't think going to the police is the best idea in this situation."

"And, just why the hell _**not**_?!" Veronica Hastings demanded, clearly not in the mood to deal with the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.

"We have reason to believe that whoever this 'A' is … We think that they may have someone inside the police department helping them …" Skye interjected, coming to Phil's aide. "Possibly more than one person…"

"Given the corruption within the local police department, S.H.I.E.L.D. is taking jurisdiction in the investigation." Phil added, keeping his voice professional and level. "We have a safe house vetted for the girls to stay in until we can find this 'A' and everybody that's been helping them." Seeing the rebuttal forming on the lawyer's lips, Phil raised his hand to silence her as he continuned on. "Spencer's right. From what we've observed, 'A' has always been one step ahead of her and her friends … Every time someone else gets involved … They get crossed off."

Slowly turning to face the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Veronica couldn't believe what she was hearing. A serial killer was after her daughter?! That just wasn't possible. It just couldn't be … Could it? "And … by 'crossed off' … you mean …" Her voice trailed off. She wasn't even able to _think_ the word in relation to her daughter.

"Taken out of the equation." Skye offered, gently, trying to skate around the true meaning of the phrase.

"If you let us help … Let us take Spencer to the safe house …" Phil offered, gently, hoping that his words were being heard as a quiet plea from one parent to another. "Then, I give you my word … We _**will **_keep her safe."

"How do I know you'll be able to keep that promise?" Veronica asked, praying to whatever deity may have been listening that her voice didn't come across as hopeless as it sounded to her own ears. She had to stay strong for her daughter's sake … For the sake of her own sanity.

"It's what we do." Skye replied, simply. Though, the look in her eyes told Veronica everything she needed to know as she turned to nod at her daughter.

Catching her mother's unspoken response, Spencer nodded her understanding as she turned her attention to the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. "Can I just … pack a few personal things?"

"Just be quick." Phil replied, gently. "The sooner we get moving, the better."

"Of course." Spencer replied, quietly, turning to go back up the stairs to her bedroom.

As Phil turned to face her, Skye read the unspoken request written in his piercing blue eyes. Nodding in return, the hacktivist made her way up the stairs, following Spencer to her bedroom.

* * *

"Come to spy on me?" Spencer asked, petulantly.

But, Skye knew better than to take the question, personally. She knew what it was like to be brutally uprooted by a couple of strange S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. _Although, I guess I can't complain too much…_ The hacktivist told herself, smiling faintly, as she realized that was also the day that she met Phil Coulson. And, the day she'd been given a shot at a real family. "No." She replied, simply. "My job is to keep you safe. That means keeping an eye on you twenty-four-seven."

"So, that's a 'yes'." Spencer countered, the faintest traces of a triumphant smirk ghosting over her lips.

Smiling slightly, Skye offered "I suppose that's one way to look at it."

"Well, I think it's the _only _way to look at it." Spencer shrugged, knowing she was right.

"I think it's _your _way of looking at it." Skye replied, crossing her arms as she leaned back against the door frame. "_My _way of looking at is that I'm just doing my job."

Seeing Skye's unwillingness to back down, Spencer began think that maybe … _just maybe _… S.H.I.E.L.D. could protect her and her friends from 'A' after all. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, Spencer began to make her way out of the room before stopping next to Skye at the doorway. "Well played, Agent Skye." The teen brainiac offered, trying to add a little levity to the situation, as she continued on to the stairway. As she began descending the stairs to her living room, Spencer called over her shoulder "Well played."

* * *

"I got it!" Hanna Marin called out, opening the front door after the doorbell had rung throughout the house. Taken aback by the six foot tall man with jet black hair, dark eyes, broad shoulders and a muscular build bulging through the tight black tee shirt he wore under his black leather jacket, Hanna muttered "Who are you?"

"My name's Special Agent Grant Ward." Ward introduced himself, gruffly, scanning the room behind the young blonde at the door. "With S.H.I.E.L.D. … Your mother home?" He asked tersely.

"I'm Hanna's mother." Ashley Marin introduced herself as she appeared behind her daughter at their front door.

"Mrs. Marin." Grant acknowledged, briefly tilting his head toward the Marin matriarch. "I need to speak with you and your daughter." The specialist elaborated, stoically.

"Hanna and I have already told the police everything we know." Ashley replied, refusing to say anything else to the strange agent.

"I'm well aware of that, Mrs. Marin." Ward conceded. "I'm not here to interrogate either of you…"

"Then, why _are _you here?" Hanna Marin demand, finally unable to take it any longer. She already had enough on her plate – worrying about 'A' and when the next bomb would drop. She _really _didn't need this.

"To _warn _you." Grant corrected, staring the teen straight in the eye.

"To warn us about _what_, exactly?" Ashley demanded, not liking the way Agent Ward seemed to stare straight through her daughter, crossing her arms over her chest.

Shifting his attention to Ashley, Ward continued on. "I'd be happy to tell you everything I know." He offered. "But, not out here. May I come in?"

Both Marin women knew they weren't getting anywhere with a government agent without complying with his demands. Stepping aside, they reluctantly allowed him inside. Stepping into the house, Ward turned to face the two women before him just as Ashley closed the door. "Mrs. Marin … _Ms_. Marin…" The specialist began, sighing lightly. "I don't have time to do this gently, so, I'm just gonna get right to the point. You're in danger." He finished, staring straight at Hanna."

"Me?" Hanna questioned, pointing at herself. "What do you mean I'm in danger?" She added, though, she suspected she already knew the answer. But, she just never thought she'd pray this hard to be wrong about something in her life.

"We know all about the threatening texts you and your friends have been receiving…" _Well … I'm dead._ Hanna thought to herself as she realized that the worst **possible **case scenario was coming to pass. Now that _**S.H.I.E.L.D. **_knew about 'A', it was only a matter of time before 'A' took her down – once and for all.

"Hanna." Ashley cut in, turning to look at her daughter. "Why didn't you tell me this was happening again?!" She demanded, in a harsh whisper.

Before Hanna could respond, Ward cut in on her behalf. "With all due respect, Mrs. Marin … Hanna likely believed that she was protecting you by keeping you in the dark." Seeing the questioning glare Ashley was throwing his way, Grant elaborated. "Whoever this 'A' is has proven themselves to be far more dangerous than even _**we **_anticipated." That shocked both women into absolute silence. "We absolutely believe that they have the power to reach out and attack those around the girls in order to hurt the girls, themselves."

"'The girls'?" Ashley questioned, curiously. "How many 'girls' are we talking about, here?"

"Well, there's your daughter…" Grant began, running through the list of all the girls targeted by 'A'. "Aria Montgomery … Spencer Hastings … And, Emily Fields."

"Hanna!" Ashley gasped, turning to her daughter. "How could you not tell me you were _all _being targeted?!"

"Because he's _**right**_, mom!" Hanna snapped, unable take any more of this. "'A's already _proven _how dangerous she … he … it – they are!" The teen shouted, clearly stressed by the entire situation. "THEY HIT ME WITH A CAR! … They know things about _you _that easily destroy you if they ever let them slip to the wrong person!" She elaborated. "I couldn't let that happen." The last sentence was spoken in a much softer – insecure whisper as Hanna retreated into herself.

"Look, what I have to tell you isn't what you're gonna want to hear." Grant admitted, reluctantly. "But, it's what you _need _to hear." He continued on. "My team and I have vetted a safehouse for the girls to stay in – where 'A' can't reach them – where they can stay and be protected while we continue to hunt for 'A'." Sensing the interruption on Ashley's lips, Grant quickly cut her off. "Once the culprit has been brought to justice, the girls will all be safely returned home." He added, hoping to alleviate at least _some _of the mother's concerns. "You have my word, Mrs. Marin … We will do whatever it takes to keep your daughter safe.

A moment of silence passed as the Marin women seemed to telepathically discuss the option before Ashley turned to face Ward. "Would I be able to contact her?" She asked, bracing herself for the answer she was all but certain was imminent.

"We believe that it would be in the girls' best interest to keep them isolated." Grant replied, regretfully, before being cut off by a screeching teenager.

"YOU CAN'T DO THAT-" Hanna shouted before being silenced by Ward.

"I admit, it's less than ideal-" Ward conceded, before Hanna interjected, once more.

"'Less than _ideal_'?" To her credit – while still not lacking in volume – Hanna's voice was notably calmer than before. "I'll** tell** you what's 'less than ideal'-" But, before she could complete the thought, the specialist took control of the dialogue yet again.

"Even an encrypted line isn't one-hundred-percent secure." Ward admitted. "As good as S.H.I.E.L.D.'s encryption is, there's always a slim chance that someone could crack it." Raising a hand to silence any further protests, he added "Given everything we've learned about 'A', we believe it wise not to take any chances."

"Hanna." Ashley cut in, turning to her daughter. "I know this won't be easy – for either of us…" Mrs. Marin conceded, sighing heavily. "But, I don't think we have a choice. … You need to go with them."

"So, that's it, then?" Hanna replied, petulantly, throwing her hands in the air. "You guys just get to plan all this out for me?" She added, shifting glances between Ward and her mother. "I don't even get a say in it?"

"Ms. Marin." Ward interjected, calmly, trying to placate the clearly frightened and stressed teenager. "S.H.I.E.L.D. understands your position – being cut off from people you care about is never easy." The specialist truly did sympathize with the young girl's positiom – whether she believed it, or not. "But, right now, we really don't have any other alternatives."

"At least this official actually wants to _help _you." Ashley Marin pointed out, turning to her daughter.

"Yeah." Hanna replied, snidely. "And, you didn't even have to sleep with him." She added, before rounding on her heel to ascend the staircase to her room.

"Hanna, get back here." Ashley hissed, ordering her daughter to return to the conversation. "Where do you think you're going, young lady?!" She demanded, turning to follow her daughter.

"What?! I'm not allowed to take any clean clothes with me, either?!" Hanna shouted down the stairs before slamming her door closed.

"Mrs. Marin." Ward warned, stopping the Marin matriarch from following her daughter. "Don't bother." He added, gently. "We all knew our efforts would be met with resistance." The specialist finally elaborated.

"I just don't want her making a break for it." Ashley muttered, helplessly.

"Don't worry." Ward attempted to placate the mother's concerns, moving to follow Hanna's steps upstairs. "I'll keep an eye on her."

* * *

"What are you – some kind of perv?" Hanna barked, sarcastically, hearing her bedroom door open, behind her.

"Excuse me?" Ward asked, curiously, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned back against the wall, observing the teen's actions.

"Sneaking into a girl's bedroom?" Hanna quipped, grinning snidely, as she turned to face the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. "Come on. Even _you _gotta admit that's kinda pervy." She added, crossing her own arms as she flopped down on the bed next to her bag. "Not to mention, you kinda suck at it."

Grinning lightly, Ward pushed himself off the wall with his foot as he crossed the room to sit on the bed – on the opposite side of the bag – as he replied. "Okay … I'll bite … Whaddo you mean, I suck at it?"

As Ward lowered himself down onto her bed, Hanna took a good look at him. She had to admit. He was an undeniably attractive man. _If you like the whole … muscular … sculpted … dark hair … dark eyes … God body … type._ She thought to herself, unable to deny her attraction to the specialist. Clearing her throat to rid herself of her nerves. "Well … For starters … I'm not a specially trained super-secret government agent, and even _I _heard you come in …" Hanna started off, trying to keep her flirty side in check. "And, second … I saw you in the mirror." She added, grinning, as she pointed to the full-length mirror straight across the room from the door.

"Well-played, Marin." Ward acknowledged, grinning impishly. He had to admit … As young as she was … She was an undeniably beautiful woman. _And, she is __**definitely **__flirting with me._ He observed, watching the way she flicked her hair and giggled lightly when she spoke. "Well-played."

* * *

"Can I help you?" Pam Fields greeted, cautiously when she saw the stoic Asian woman – clad in black from head-to-toe – standing at her door.

"My name is Agent Melinda May." May introduced herself, holding up her badge for the woman to see. "With S.H.I.E.L.D." She added, curtly. "I need to speak with your daughter, Emily."

"Mom?" Emily Fields questioned, nervously, watching the government agent at her door, cautiously. "What's going on?"

"Emily Fields?" Agent May questioned, as Emily's mother stepped aside to allow her in.

"Yes." Emily replied, instinctively backing away from the intimidating woman. "Who are you?" She asked, voice trembling ever-so-slightly, in fear.

"My name is Melinda May." Agent May replied, deliberately keeping her voice calm and level so as to avoid frightening the young woman any more than she already was.

"What do you want with me?" Emily questioned, trying to sound stronger than she felt.

"I just want to talk to you-" Melinda began, carefully, before being cut off by Emily's father.

"Our daughter already told the police everything she knows." Wayne Fields barked, hoping to scare off the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.

"I'm well aware of that, Mr. Fields." Melinda replied, visibly unphazed by Wayne's scare tactics. "However, I am not here to interrogate her." She clarified, levelly. "But, I _am _here to _warn _her."

"Warn me?" Emily questioned, curiously, before her father cut in.

"About what?" Wayne demanded, as his wife entered the room.

"Wayne?" Pam Fields interjected, timidly. "What's going on here?" As she turned to Melinda, Pam's face took on a quizzical expression as she added "Who are you?"

"Mrs. Fields…" Melinda began, gently, so as to avoid frightening Pam any further. "My name is Agent Melinda May from S.H.I.E.L.D." She introduced herself, presenting her badge for Mr. and Mrs. Fields to examine. "As I was trying to tell your husband and daughter, my team and I are aware of the threatening text messages your daughter and her friends have been receiving-"

"Threatening messages?!" Wayne repeated, demanding answers, before turning to his daughter. "Emmy … What is she talking about?!" Wayne demanded. "Who's been threatening you?!"

That was a good question. And, Emily really wished she had the answer. _Maybe if I __**did**__ I could put an end to all of this once and for all … _She thought to herself. But, then, that raised a whole other question. Even if she _**did **_have all the answers … How much should she tell her parents – how much should she tell S.H.I.E.L.D.?! Was it even safe to discuss the matter of 'A' with anyone outside of her group of friends? Unsure of what to say or do, the teen shrank into herself under her father's intense stare.

"Emmy." Wayne barked, once more, demanding answers. "Who's been threatening you?!"

"I DON'T KNOW, OKAY?!" Emily snapped, finally unable to take the inner monologue in her head. "I don't _**know**_ who's been sending the messages!" She insisted, wrapping her arms around herself, insecurely. "They only ever identify themselves as 'A'." Finally backing herself into a wall, she finished off, quietly "I've never even seen their face."

"Mr. and Mrs. Fields…" Melinda spoke calmly, though, her voice commanded the attention of both of Emily's parents. "The person who's been targeting your daughter and her friends, seems to operate entirely out of the shadows. Even though they've been communicating with your daughter and her friends electronically, they still seem to be able to stay completely off grid – leaving no traces, anywhere." The agent explained, wishing she had more answers for the family before her. "Whoever, they are, they seem to be a pro-"

"So, you're saying you have no idea who this person is?" Pam questioned, souding as hopeless as she felt.

"Not at this time-" Melinda conceded.

"Then, what – exactly – **can **you tell us about them?!" Wayne Field demanded, snidely.

Still unphazed by Emily's father's reaction, Melinda continued on. "They're extremely dangerous. … We've already confirmed that they were the ones to run Ms. Marin over with a car. … We also believe they may have been involved with the disappearance of Alison DiLaurentis."

"So, what exactly do you plan to do about all this?" Warne demanded, feeling his anger rising.

"My team and I have vetted a safehouse for the girls to stay in until 'A' can be brought to justice-" Melinda began, before being cut off.

"You wanna take me away from my _**family**_?!" Emily demanded, finally finding her voice.

"THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE!" Wayne Fields roared. "I WON'T ALLOW YOU TO TAKE MY DAUGHTER AWAY FROM ME!"

"Wayne!" Pam Fields interjected, attempting to placate her husband.

"Mr. and Mrs. Fields, S.H.I.E.L.D. sympathizes with your position – as do I." Melinda began, keeping her voice calm and calculated. "I understand – being seperated from your family … particularly your children … is never easy." She conceded, sincerely. "And, I assure you … if there was _**any **_other way … I wouldn't be here, right now."

"Will she be able to check in with us?" Pam questioned, desperately. "Just to let us know she's okay?"

"This 'A' is too smart for that." May replied, regretfully. "Any method of communications would be far too risky – we won't take any chances that 'A' could find your daughter and her friends." The agent explained, carefully. "We won't let them anywhere _near _your daughter. I give you my word. We **will **return your daughter to you safe and sound the moment we feel it safe to do so."

After a moment of tense silence, Wayne sighed as he knew he had to admit defeat. S.H.I.E.L.D. would certainly be far more equipped to protect his daughter than himself and his wife – loathe as he was to admit it. "You take care of my little girl." Wayne replied, gruffly, struggling to mask the pain of letting his little girl go God knew where with government agents he was forced to trust, blindly.

"Whoa – wait … Dad … You're seriously just gonna let her take me?!" Emily replied, desperate shock and fear written in her eyes and body language. "Just like that?!"

"I don't have a choice, Emmy!" Wayne barked, turning to face his daughter as his countenance visibly softened. "I don't know how else to protect you. I've never seen this 'A' person's face … I don't know who they are … where to find them … Hell, I don't even know if they're a man or woman!" The Field patriarch declared, desperately. "At least, with S.H.I.E.L.D. looking after you … I know you'll be safe." He added, sighing heavily as he wrapped his arms around his daughter, holding her close to his chest. "This isn't permanent, Emmy …" He reminded her, feeling her crying quietly against his shoulder. "We're gonna see each other again, real soon … Count on it." He finished, planting a kiss to his daughter's forehead. "I love you, Emily."

"I love you, too, dad." Emily replied, her voice thick and watery as she tried to fight back the tears, before turning to hug her mother.

Fighting back her own tears, Pam Fields tried to cover it all up. "Now … You make sure you do everything they tell you, Emily … Okay?" She spoke, trying to convince herself that this was no different than sending her daughter off to a sleepover at a friend's house. But, deep down, she knew it was completely different. This time, she didn't know when her daughter would be returning home … Or even **if **her daughter would be returning home.

"I will, mom." Emily replied, clinging to her mother as if it would be the last time they'd ever see each other. Because, for all she knew, it very well **could **be.

"You be careful, you hear me?" Pam added, trying to find the will to send her daughter away to God knew where with a perfect stranger. "I don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to you."

"I know, mom." Emily nodded against her mother's shoulder. "I promise. I'll be careful." She added, finally releasing her grip on her mother as she dried her eyes, before turning to face Agent May. "Agent May …" She spoke, in an uncharacteristically meek manner.

"Yes, Emily?" May replied, giving the teen her full attention.

"Do you think it would be possible for me to just pack a few things?" Emily asked, carefully. "Just a couple essentials to remind me of home … sort of … give me a light at the end of the tunnel?" She added, hopefully.

"Of course." Melinda replied, warmly, nodding her understanding. "As long as you don't mind me joining you." Noting the questioning looks from the entire Fields family, Melinda elaborated. "The moment I took on the job of protecting you – guarding you – I swore to never let you out of my sight until we get to the safehouse." Softening her voice, she added "Don't worry … You won't even know I'm there." Quirking a somewhat uncharacteristic smirk, she added in a surprisingly playful tone "I've gotten quite good at that, over the years."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I hope you all enjoyed this little installment. Next chapter, the girls all meet up on The Bus and things start to get interesting. Don't forget to drop a review! And, I hope you'll continue reading my little story! :D And, if you have an idea for where you'd like to see this story go, feel free to leave it in a review and I'll take a look at it. Who knows? If I like your idea, I just might roll with it! (Unless you want me to break-up Coulsye or Ezria … That just ain't happenin' …)

~Skye Coulson


	3. I Am Open to Suggestions

**The A TeAm**

**DisclAimer:  
**As AlwAys, I own nothing!

**RAting:  
**K+

**Genre:  
**FAmily/DrAmA

**PAirings:**

EzriA (EzrA Fitz/AriA Montgomery)  
Coulsye (Phil Coulson/Skye)  
GrAnnA (GrAnt WArd/HAnnA MArin)

**Lyrics Used:  
**OreliA HAs OrchestrA "Suggestions"

* * *

I Am Open To Suggestions

_It just takes a second for my world to come crumbling down | Oh, I'm sure, in the distance, you can hear that awful sound | Oh, I plead for an answer, an answer from you | But, if you give me an answer that just makes no sense, what's the use | And, just like that, my life is broken | I can barely breathe | And, now, I'm opened to suggestions | At the end of the day, life's a lesson_

_Oh, why can't I see it from his point of view | And, how many seconds in the hours will I make him lose | Oh, he said it was him or the answer, him in the answer that day | Well, I can't keep shouting answer so what's the use, anyway_

* * *

As his team boarded The Bus, Phil Coulson stood and waited anxiously for the arrival of his daughter and her friends. "Welcome, ladies." Phil greeted the girls, warmly. "My name is Agent Phil Coulson. I'm sure you've all met my team. This is our mobile headquarters. This is both our home and office." He elaborated, smiling at each of the girls while noting how much Aria looked like her mother. "And – until we find 'A' and bring them down, once and for all – this will be your home, as well." He added, trying to keep his voice light and welcoming. "If you'll all follow me, I'll show you to your quarters." The agent finished before turning and gesturing for the girls to follow him.

"Oh, goody!" Hanna Marin whispered, snidely. "A guided tour!"

"Hanna!" Spencer hushed, her voice an urgent whisper, as they all followed Agent Coulson.

"At least these agents actually wanna _help _us." Emily reminded her, quietly, reminding her of her mother more than she'd really care for.

"Like we haven't heard _that _before …" Hanna whispered, sarcastically. "How do we know we can actually trust these guys?!" Noticing Aria's strangely quiet demeanor, she shifted gears. "You're being awfully quiet. What's up with you?"

"Hm?" Aria interjected, startled out of her inner monologue. "Oh … Nothing … I'm fine."

"Hanna's right." Spencer added, curiously. "You barely said two words since we got in the SUV." She observed, recalling the brunette's behavior since they'd all been taken from their homes. "What's going on, Aria?"

"Nothing!" Aria repeated, agitated by the quesitoning. "Ive just got a lot on my mind." She added. But, before any of them could question her, further, they'd evidently arrived at their destination as Agent Coulson spoke once more.

"And, here we are, ladies." Phil spoke, opening the door to The Cage. "Now, I'll admit it's not exactly _homey _…" The seasoned S.H.I.E.L.D. veteran conceded, lightly, hoping to lighten the mood with a little comedy. But, clearly, these girls were not in a joking mood. "But, at least it's _safe_." He added, his voice notably more serious, as he watched the girls check out their new surroundings. As they proceeded to unpack what few belongings they'd brought with them, he continued onward. "Now, of course, you'll have free run of the entire Bus. The only area you'll be restricted in is the lab and – as long as Agent Fitz or Agent Simmons is in there with you – you'll be allowed in there, as well." He explained in what he hoped was a welcoming tone before getting down to business. "With all that in mind … Miss Montgomery … Can I see you in my office for a moment?" He asked, curiously.

As all eyes focused on her, Aria just averted her gaze as she replied, timidly. "Sure." Still feeling her friends' gazes firmly set on her, Aria exited the room with Phil right beside her.

"What was _that _about?" Hanna wondered, aloud, once the door had closed.

"I have no idea." Emily replied, dumbfounded, before turning to Spencer. "Any ideas, Spence?"

"Well …" Spencer replied, thoughtfully, trying to buy time as her mind struggled to make sense of everything that was happening. "Yeah, I got nothin'." She finally replied, admitting defeat, as much as she hated it.

* * *

As the door slid closed behind her, Aria nervously settled herself into the chair across her father's desk as he took his own seat behind the desk. A nervous silence stretched between them – both of them struggling to think of what to say in the moment – before Phil finally broke the silence. "I'm really glad you're here." He offered, awkwardly. Phil Coulson had dreamed of one day meeting his daughter for the first time. He just never thought it'd be this awkward when he did.

"Yeah, well … Ezra and Shaelynn didn't exactly give me much of a choice in the matter." Aria grumbled, quietly, refusing to meet her father's gaze.

"I really am sorry about that." Phil apologized, gently. "I hate having to bring you here against your will." The senior agent added, sincerely. "And, honestly … If there was **_any _**other way …"

"Yeah, I know." Aria replied, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, as Phil's voice trailed off.

"Look, I know about your relationship with Agent Fitzgerald-" Phil began, trying to break the ice with his daughter, before she cut him off.

"That wasn't a relationship." Aria barked – the pain clearly evident in her voice. "A relationship would imply that he ever actually cared about me." She elaborated, turning away so that her father wouldn't see her cry.

"I can understand why you feel that way." Phil coneded, gently, rising from his seat to pull his daughter to her feet before guiding her over to the small sofa in his office. "But, you're wrong." He offered, quietly, as they both took their seats on the sofa.

"If he cared about me, why would he lie?" Aria asked, hurt and confused. "He knew who you were! He knew all about my parents! He knew who **I **was when we first met!" She continued onward, her voice rising in volume until she was shouting. "All this time, he **knew** all those things – he knew the _**truth**_ – and, the whole time, he **lied **to my _face_!" The teen cried, finally allowing all the emotions she'd been suppressing to finally bubble over the surface. "How am I supposed to believe that he actually _cared _about me?!"

Phil ached for the tears raining down his daughter's face. He would have given anything to away his daughter's pain. "I know it doesn't seem like it." Phil admitted, warmly. "But, Ezra truly does love you more than you realize." He argued, gently. "When he realized his feelings for you, he came to me and asked for my permission to read you in-"

"'Read me in'?" Aria questioned, curiously, still sniffling quietly. "What does that mean?"

"It means he wanted to tell you the truth – about everything." Phil explained with an honest sincerity to his voice that made Aria want to believe him. "But, _I _was the one who forced him to lie to you." Phil admitted, shamefully, unable to meet his daughter's eyes. "I was the one that ordered him to maintain his cover."

Aria couldn't believe what she was hearing. If all this was true, then … It wasn't _really _Ezra hurting her … It was her own father. "Why?" She demanded, shakily. "Why would you do that to me?!" Aria continued on, her voice dangerously quiet. "From the moment I first learned the truth to _right __**now**_ … All I've been able to think about was all the times that I _**defended **_Ezra … To my _family _… And, my _friends_ …" There was no stopping her, now. Aria had finally found her voice and she was going to make damn sure she was heard. "And, all I could think about was _**stupid **_I had to have been to defend someone that would so blatantly lie to my **face **like that! … But, the whole time … It was **you**! _You _were the one lying to me!" Aria leapt from her seat to pace back and forth across the office as she continued ranting. Phil, for his part, just remained quiet and allowed his daughter to do whatever she felt she needed to do. "You let me fall in love with him!" She whispered, whipping her head around to face her father before she closed in on him. "You let me fall in love with him and then you _ruined _… _**everything **_we ever _**had**_!"

"That was never a part of the plan, I assure you." Phil insisted, though – deep down – he knew he was in the wrong. "I never thought the two of you would fall in love. And, I know it was wrong-" He tried to finish his apology but found himself being railroaded, once more, by his daughter.

"'Wrong'?!" Aria demanded. "No, what you did goes so far _beyond _**wrong** it's not even in the same **zip code **as 'wrong'!"

"I know that." Phil apologized, sincerely. "I know it was wrong. But, I did it to try to protect you!" Phil insisted, praying to whatever deity may have been listening for a way to fix things with his daughter.

"'Protect me'?!" Aria screeched, in disbelief. "If this is your idea of 'protecting me', then, maybe I'll take my chances with 'A'!"

* * *

"What's that room, there?" Emily Fields questioned, curiously, pointing toward the closed door where she was hearing Aria shouting.

"That?" Leo Fitz replied, turning to see where Emily had pointed. "Oh, that's Agent Coulson's office." He finished, off-handedly, before moving to take his leave – only to be stopped by Emily's voice once more.

"Do you know what they're talking about, in there?" She asked, curiously.

"No idea." Leo shrugged, casually. "But, meeting for the first time in seventeen years … I'd say Coulson and his daughter have quite a lot to talk about." He offered, lightly.

"'His _daughter_'?" Emily repeated, shell-shocked by the bomb that had just dropped. "Whaddo you mean, 'his daughter'? … Aria's dad's name is Byron. Byron Montgomery."

Suddenly realizing that Aria hadn't told her friends about Coulson's affair with her mother – the affair that had resulted in her birth – Leo simply stared at Emily with a deer-in-the-headlights expression. "Oh … Dear … I thought you knew." He offered, dumbly, not knowing what else to say.

"No." Emily replied, crossly, folding her arms over her chest. "I didn't. … Enlighten me." She added, challengingly.

* * *

"How, exactly, is making the man that I love **lie **to my _face _supposed to 'protect me'?!" Aria demanded, chest heaving ragged, angry breaths.

"Aria … We don't know who's been after you." Coulson resoned, desperately. "Every time we've _thought _were getting ahead of them – they were right there to show us that we were still a step behind. If I had let Ezra read you in, that would have meant risking retaliation on A's part …" The senior agent explained, hoping against hope that his daughter could somehow find it within her to understand where he was coming from. "That was a risk I just wasn't prepared to take."

Heaving a deep sigh, Aria paused to allow all that her father had just told her to sink in. Loathe thogh she was to admit it … Her father had raised a valid point. There was never any telling what 'A' might do. Flopping back down on to the sofa, she decided to put that on the back burner while she dealt with the other issue she was struggling with. "Okay, fine …" She conceded, quietly. "I get it … But 'A' hasn't been after me for the last eighteen years! … Why the hell would you and my mom lie to me _all my __**life**_?!" She questioned, hopelessly lost and looking for answers.

Phil sighed as he leaned back into the sofa cushions. That was a fair question. He knew Aria would want answers for that, if and when this day finally came. He had just always hoped he would have a good answer for her. The problem, however, was that he didn't. "I always told myself that … if and when the day came … That you and I got to meet …" He began, carefully. "And, you asked me that very question … I wanted to have a good answer for you." Sighing heavily, Phil had no other choice than to hang his head in shame as his voice dropped to a shameful whisper. "But … Truth is … I don't."

"What do you mean?" Aria asked, quietly. Although she would be the first to admit that she was looking for a reason to lash out at him … Something seemed genuine remorseful for lying to her. The least she could do was hear him out … Right?

Stunned by the response, Phil cautiously looked up to see a patiently expectant look in his daughter's eyes. _Thank you!_ He thought to himself, as he silently thanked whatever deity had finally decided to cut him some slack.

* * *

"Guys, you're never gonna believe what I just found out!" Emily announced, returning to her remaining friends – sans Aria – in The Cage.

Whirling around to face their third group member, Spencer and Hanna shared a look before Spencer spoke up. "What's going on?" She asked, cautiously.

"I just talked to Agent Fitz-" Emily began, just about to recount her encounter with the engineer, when Hanna cut her off.

"You mean Ezra?" The blonde asked, in one of her famous ditzy moments. "What?" She asked, noting the glances she was receiving from Emily and Spencer.

"I mean Agent _Leo _Fitz!" Emily corrected, only slightly agitated by her friend's comment.

"Yeah, Hanna, remember?" Spencer asked, more annoyed than her far more patient friend. "Ezra goes by Agent Fitz_gerald_!" She corrected, eager to get on with the story.

"Hey! I don't know about you guys, but, I've had a **hell **of a lot of new information thrown at me, today!" Hanna snapped, defensively. "I can barely figure out which way's _**up**_!"

"Well, get ready for one **more **bombshell …" Emily warned, shifting her gaze back and forth between her friends. "Agent Coulson is Aria's _**DAD**_!"

* * *

"Look … Aria …" Phil began, cautiously, hoping things could continue to go as smoothly as they were. "I know this doesn't excuse what I've done … But, I truly thought that you would be safer if you never knew about me." He admitted, lamely, too terrified to meet his daughter's gaze. "In my line of work … I come into contact with a lot of dangerous people … People I would never want to know about you." He added, staring guiltily down at his hands in his lap. "People that … If they _did _know about you … Would not hesitate to use you against me – putting your life in danger to draw me out into a trap …" The senior agent couldn't ignore the sting of tears in his eyes as he thought about that possibility. Even though he'd never been a part of her life … He'd always loved his daughter. Turning away from his daughter so that she wouldn't see the few stray tears fighting their way through his tightly shut eyelids, Phil finished meekly "I just … I couldn't let that happen."

Sighing heavily, Aria allowed herself to sink back into the sofa as she processed everything her father was telling her. Intellectually, she understood his reasoning. But, that didn't mitigate the sting of having been lied to. Although, ultimately, Aria knew she would have to let that go, eventually. And, she was trying … She really was. It would just take some time. "I get it." She finally conceded, allowing her head to loll to one side to face her father. "I get why you hid all this from me." She clarified. "I mean, I'd be lying if I said it didn't still hurt … That I was over being lied to my whole life …" Phil had to admit, he could understand that. " … But, I get it … And I know I need to let it go – and I'm really trying …" She added, almost smiling at the gleam of hope in her father's eyes. Almost. "I just … I think I just need some time."

Smiling, Phil fought with everything he had to refrain from jumping for joy when he reached out for his daughter's hand. … And, she let him. She didn't pull away or anything. She just relaxed as his hand closed around her own. "I can understand that." Phil replied, warmly. "And, I fully respect that." He added, gently, giving his daughter's hand a light squeeze. "Take all the time you need." He finished, releasing his grip on Aria's hand, patting the back lightly as he rose from his seat – opening the door for her. "In the meantime … Please … Make yourself at home, here."

Finally managing a weak, half-smile, Aria replied, quietly "Thanks … I will." as she proceeded to make her way out of the door to the office.

* * *

"And, the prodigal daughter returns!" Spencer Hastings greeted her friend, sarcastically, as Aria re-joined her friends in The Cage.

"How did you guys know about that?!" Aria questioned, curiously.

Having been passing by the open door to The Cage at just the right moment, Leo cut in, sheepishly. "I … might … have told them …" He admitted, nervously. "But – in my defense – I didn't actually tell _all _of them … Just her!" He added, quickly, pointing to Emily.

"Yeah! He did!" Emily added, frustrated that her friend would hide something like that from her, as she folded her arms over her chest. "But, only because he thought we already _knew_ …" She added, accusingly.

"Why wouldn't _you _tell us?!" Hanna demanded, with a little more hurt reflected in her voice than she'd originally intended.

Sighing, Aria knew this conversation was coming. But, that didn't mean that she was anywhere _near _ready for it. "Look … I know I should've told you guys …" She admitted, guiltily. "But, in my defense … I'm still trying to wrap my head around all this, myself." She elaborated, flopping herself down onto her cot. "Okay?! **I'm **still trying to _understand _everything that I've been told in the last several hours!" She added, throwing herself flat on her back as she stared up at the ceiling while continuing on. "I mean … Just a few hours ago, I thought my biggest worry was 'What would 'A' do, next?' … But, now … Now, **everything's **changed!"

The other three girls all had to admit. They could sympathize with Aria's predicament. None of them could ever even imagine finding out that the man they'd spent their lives calling 'dad' wasn't their father, at all. Finally, Hanna spoke up. "So … What _happened_, anyway?" She asked gently. "Not that I'm trying to pry or anything … I'm just … Trying to make sense of it all …"

Sighing, Aria contined staring at the ceiling as she recounted everything she'd been told about the one-night affair that had resulted in her birth. "Well … My parents had been fighting … my mom left to go for a walk – clear her head … She even took her wedding rings off-"

"Wait!" Spencer interrupted, stunned. "Your mom took off her _wedding rings_?!"

"Must've been a big fight." Emily mused, thoughtfully.

"You're telling me …" Hanna offered.

"It was." Aria replied, sighing as her eyes slid closed as she pressed onward. "My dad hit her."

"HE _**WHAT**_?!" Hanna, Spencer, and Emily all cried in shell-shocked unison.

"He slapped her in the face." Aria sighed, her eyes reopening as she shifted to sit upright on her cot – leaning back against the wall – as the other girls all settled in on Emily's cot straight across the room from Aria's, hanging on the brunette's every word. "So, she left … Found herself at some bar … The guy on the barstool next to her – Agent Coulson – starts talking to her …" Aria began, wrapping her arms around herself, insecurely, as she recounted her mother's story. "She said he made her feel safe … One thing led to another … The next morning, she woke up in his bed – in his hotel room-"

"Real classy, Mr. C!" Hanna injected, snidely.

"His name is Agent Coulson." Spencer corrected, impatiently. "Show some respect."

"Come on, Spence …" Hanna whined, petulantly. "He took Aria's mom to some skeevy hotel room for a one-night stand." She added, bluntly. "You gotta admit, that's pretty crappy."

"Guys!" Aria cut off her friends' argument, impatiently. "Kinda in the middle of a _life-altering _**story**, here!"

"Aria's right." Emily finally spoke up, effectively putting a stop to Spencer and Hanna's argument. "Please continue, Aria."

"Thanks, Em." Aria replied, before getting back to her original story. "As I was saying … When my mom woke up in Coulson's hotel room, they decided that it was all a mistake and that it could never happen, again. They decided that it would be best for everyone involved if they never mentioned it to anyone – which would have worked out fine had my mom not ended up pregnant with me." The young woman, elaborated, injecting her own thoughts on her mother's tale.

"I can't believe your mom went back to your dad after he slapped her, like that." Spencer replied, thinking out loud.

"Apparently Coulson gave her the number for a great therapist who helped my dad get his anger management issues in check." Aria explained – still not quite believing she was sitting here, on a plane, with her friends … surrounded by strangers and explaining to her friends how she was related to one of those strangers. "My mom said the therapy was working – things had started getting better between her and my dad … Until she found out she was pregnant with me."

"What happened?" Hanna asked, curiously.

"Well … My parents hadn't … been _intimate_ … in several weeks leading up to the big fight." Aria elaborated, watching the realization dawn on her friends' faces. "So, they knew Agent Coulson _had _to be my father."

"Wow." Emily breathed.

"Unbelievable." Spencer added, quietly.

"Way to go Coulson." Hanna mused – perhaps a bit more vocally than mentally. "What?!" She asked, defensively, noting all of the incredulous looks from her friends. "Oh, come on! We all know how hot Mrs. M. is!"

"Seriously?" Aria deadpanned, stunned that _that's _what her friend chose to dwell on. "I'm trying to tell you that the man I have – for _my whole life_ – as my dad is – in fact – not even my dad and all you can think about is how many points Coulson gets for _screwing my mom_?!"

"Well …" Hanna muttered, suddenly embarassed and ashamed. " … When you put it _that _way …"

Rolling her eyes, Spencer turned her attention back to Aria. "Please continue." She added, choosing to move past Hanna 'blonde moment'.

"Thank you, Spencer." Aria replied, before getting back to the story. "Turns out, my mom told Coulson that he could choose his level of involvement." She added, recounting what her mother had told her. "She said that they talked about it and decided that it would be in the best interest of everyone involved if I never knew about Coulson-"

"Wait, why wouldn't they want you to know about your _dad_?" Emily interjected, curiously.

"Coulson said it was because of his job." Aria replied, switching gears to what Coulson had just told her, moments ago, in his office. "He said that he's made a lot of enemies during the course of his career … Enemies that wouldn't hesitate to use me against him – threaten me to get him where they wanted him … He said that was a risk he just wasn't willing to take. … He thought that not telling me about him would keep me safe."

"No irony, there, at all." Hanna muttered, sarcastically.

"Hanna!" Aria, Spencer, and Emily all barked in unison – causing the blonde to jump, startled.

"Oh come on!" Hanna whined, defensively. "Coulson hides the truth from Aria to protect her and we _all _end up on 'A's radar? You can't tell me I'm the only one that noticed the irony there."

"Yeah, but, at least the rest of us had the decency to keep it to ourselves." Spencer chastised.

* * *

"AC." Skye greeted, carefully, entering the senior agent's office.

"Skye." Phil replied, turning his attention to the hacktivist. "What can I do for you?" He asked, lightly, with a slight grin on his face.

"Well, Ward just sent me up here to get you." Skye added, the tone in her voice all business, which put Coulson on alert. "There's been a new development in the search for 'A'."

"What is it?" Coulson asked, curtly, eager to get to the bottom of finding the person targeting his daughter and her friends. "Do we have a name?"

"Not yet." Skye replied, regretfully. "But, we did find something … both interesting … and alarming." She added, choosing her words, carefully, noting that she had piqued the senior agent's interest. As the expression on Coulson's face seemed to cue her to elaborate, she added. "As it turns out … 'A' didn't kill Alison DiLaurentis."

"Can you be sure?" Coulson asked, dumbfounded, as he reached for the dossier in Skye's hands.

Handing over the dossier, Skye recounted the new information they'd dug up on the 'A' investigation. "Pretty sure." She added, only slightly-joking. "Considering Alison DiLaurentis is still _alive_."

* * *

**Author's Note:  
**Yes, I know I'm inhumanely cruel to drop that bombshell on you and leave you with that for a cliff-hanger. But, I promise to try to update as soon as possible. In the meantime, I am also working on a trailer for this story. I'll try to get a link up for you all as soon as I have one available. In the meantime, please read and review!

~Skye Coulson


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